Chronic Illness & SSP | How SSP Can Support You

Parkinson's Disease & Chronic Illness

Tailored SSP for Parkinson’s Disease and Chronic Illness

Living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) or a chronic illness can be overwhelming, affecting not just movement but also energy levels, mood, and overall well-being. The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a powerful, evidence-based listening therapy designed to gently regulate the nervous system, supporting better resilience, calm, and connection.

I have a special interest in how SSP supports those with PD. Drawing on my medical expertise, passion for neuroscience, and five years of working with clients online, I tailor each SSP journey to the unique challenges of Parkinson’s. My approach helps clients navigate symptoms like anxiety, fatigue, and sensory sensitivity with greater ease and resilience.

SSP & Parkinson's Disease

With the support of Dr Porges, I have been running a small feasibility study to investigate the effect of SSP on PD clients with different presentations and histories. The results are very encouraging, with many clients experiencing a significant reduction in a variety of their symptoms.

This pioneering work is continuing to develop with various international colleagues expressing interest to collaborate in more detailed research.

SSP and Parkinson's Disease

The videos below demonstrate various aspects of my SSP work with two of clients, Dennis and Jerry, both diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. I am indebted to them for their commitment to this work, and for their generosity in sharing their experiences in this way.

Dennis' SSP Journey

Story of Change: Creative Connection in the Time of COVID

Video Shown at the Polyvagal Institute summit in November 2021.

Liz Charles, MD is based in the UK while her client, Dennis, live in Germany. Their shared journey of therapy for Dennis’s trauma history and Parkinson’s Disease includes sensitive use of the Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP) and an assortment of sensory, movement, and regulation activities – all done via Zoom. The remarkable results have been life-changing.

Dennis’s Testimony

Dennis lives in Germany and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2016

“Being recommended to Liz as a client and working with her for several months was one of the most important and precious periods in my life. Before, I was desperate. Depression, trauma, anxiety and Parkinson´s were dominating my life. I needed all my energy just to get through the day. Immediately after the first sessions things started to get better. Liz´s careful titration of SSP combined with her profound knowledge, professionalism, great personality and enthusiasm made it easy for me to work with her. It helped me work on serious topics with my somatic experiencing therapist.

Today, after nearly 40 sessions, I have regained control over my life, I have a better social life, i am feeling much better, less anxious and I am much more optimistic regarding my future. The symptoms of Parkinson´s (e.g tremor, flat face, slurred speech, rigidity) are significantly reduced when I am in a ventral state. I never would have expected that when we started the sessions. I am so grateful that I can experience this! Thank you so much Liz – I can´t adequately express how happy I am to have been able to work with you and for your support!”

Jerry's SSP Journey

Jerry lives in the USA and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2020

He lives with Judy, his wife of 50 years, on the West Coast of the USA. When Judy heard about SSP through her interest in Polyvagal Theory she thought it might help Jerry and found her way to Dr Liz. Jerry, Judy, and Liz met for the first time in June 2021. Liz started to carefully titrate the SSP delivery to suit the sensitivities of Jerry’s system in weekly online sessions. Jerry has slowly and patiently worked his way through SSP with the support of Judy.

This video shows clips from Jerry’s first three online sessions, and then 15 months later in September 2022, when he had just completed the 3rd hour of listening and moved into hour 4. The difference is dramatic and compelling…

Availability to work with you

I value each and every client and take care that I have enough time to give our work together. I carefully consider when I take on a new client to ensure I have sufficient capacity, and because of this, I typically have a waiting list.

For clients with chronic illness such as Parkinson’s disease and Long COVID, if you would like to work with someone earlier than I am available, I offer the option to put you in touch with an experienced SSP provider who uses my Sensitive Approach with skills suited this delicate work. I will then give them supervision specific to your case, beginning with your intake process and then at regular intervals while you work together.

How can SSP help?

Many clients experience meaningful reduction in their symptoms

Symptom reduction can improve other areas of your life

SSP may support the effects of other therapies you may also be using

Tailored Support for Chronic Conditions with SSP

For chronic illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease and Long COVID, the delivery of SSP listening is carefully adapted to address the unique nature and presentation of each condition and client. Gentle, effective support is provided by tailoring the process to suit your specific symptoms and needs.

SSP as Part of a Comprehensive Approach

SSP is not designed to be a standalone therapy. It is most effective when integrated with other therapies to enhance the benefits of broader treatments for both physical and mental health. Together, we will create a customized approach to SSP listening, identifying the “just right” amount for you over a series of sessions. We also explore a variety of supporting activities to achieve the optimal effect for you.

Long-Term Integration for Sustained Benefits

Once we’ve established your ideal routine, we’ll explore ways to include occasional, short self-listening sessions that you can integrate into your day-to day life. This approach includes periodic check-ins with me to ensure you’re supported and on track. By balancing regular, carefully calibrated self-listening with supportive practices, you can sustain and even amplify the positive impact of SSP over the long term.

Are you an SSP provider or clinician looking to find out more about Dr Liz’s clinical work using her Sensitive Approach™ ?

Dr Liz enjoys sharing her Sensitive Approach with SSP providers through 1:1 guidance, live workshops, Q&As and online modules to boost your confidence, enrich your therapeutic work, and enhance your client outcomes.

Hear about my client's experiences . . .

Parkinson’s Disease

“I have been working with Dr. Liz now for 6 months and my initial reason was to deal with Parkinsons Disease. The SSP has been really effective. My rigidity has improved so much that I can roll in bed, my arm moves freely and I dont shuffle when I walk anymore. I swallow normally and just move much better. Even more importantly Dr Liz has helped me understand how my childhood has shaped my nervous system and how that had been still impacting me all these years later. I feel like a weight has lifted off my shoulders (literally and figuratively). She is such a special person- so kind and understanding.”

Long COVID

“After some time investigating SSP as a treatment for long covid, I contacted Liz because I felt re-assured by her approach and medical background. I worked with her for nearly a year where we carefully titrated SSP and with lots of coaching I slowly started to understand what was happening with my nervous system. This illuminated that covid was a trigger for my symptoms, but the cause was persistent nervous system dysregulation as a result of trauma. Over time, my symptoms improved and I gained resilience and the tools to change the trajectory of my life. I will be forever thankful to Liz and SSP for this new perspective and chance at leading a fuller, truer existence.”

Chronic kidney disease

“I’m very happy that I’ve done SSP, and I feel very lucky that I’ve done it with Liz. She is not only very caring and passionate about what she does; working directly with Stephen Porges – including on the production of training materials – has also given her a privileged perspective on this precious (and unique!) tool.

Even if we worked remotely all the time, Liz managed to create a safe place between us, and from the first session I found it very easy to connect with her.

The main goal of SSP is to help your nervous system to ‘dare’ more and more to feel safe and activate the social engagement system, as this is what allows us to have fulfilling relationships and mobilise self-healing mechanisms across the body.

I started to feel impulses that for a long time had been either repressed or strongly mediated by my inner critic: to enjoy and engage all my five senses, to express my inner states in a creative, non-verbal way (e.g. through painting), to communicate in a deeper way, and also to activate fight/flight responses in adequate ways (e.g. to set boundaries). And being a trained musician, my relationship to music is also being transformed as a result!

In summary, this has been a fascinating and transformative journey, and I feel very grateful to Dr Liz Charles (and also to Dr Porges) for having made that possible!”

Complex trauma and chronic illness

“I have been chronically ill for 5 years and SSP has given me a sense of recovery like I had never expected. Aside from the valuable content of the program, Liz has been such an amazing, accommodating and sensitive guide in this journey. She is there for me in all my ups and downs, my big nervous system shifts and balanced moments. When I experienced some intense times, I felt like she was really by my side the whole time through, and I can always feel her support, empathy and dedication to my process. I see Liz as an idol when it comes to taking care of yourself and your nervous system. By now we have a strong therapeutic rapport, which I’m very positive about. We laugh a lot! I felt a connection to her from the start, and it is that connection she so easily builds with her clients that makes the biggest difference in the work together. Liz inspires me to keep up the work and practice polyvagally informed self-care. I can’t thank her enough :)”